In preparation for our move to Nashville, my boyfriend Nick and I took Ami’s advice and decided to sell most of our stuff instead of spending the money to move it 2,300 miles. So for the past few weeks, we’ve been welcoming a string of Craigslist buyers into our home as we clear out all of our furniture and pretty much every other non-essential item we own. It’s been a bit stressful, but mostly liberating. In honor of Spring Cleaning Week, I thought it would be fun to document some of the lessons I’ve learned from the experience, because selling stuff on Craigslist is a great way to clear out clutter, even if you’re not moving across the country… Keep reading »
Tag Archives: moving
10 Ways To Maintain A Long Distance Friendship
As you know, I’m moving from Portland to Nashville in a couple weeks (gulp). I’ve started selling most of my stuff and getting all the logistics figured out, and everything’s going pretty well so far. There’s one thing, though, that’s been weighing on me since I began the process of relocating my life: I’m freaking out about leaving my best friend, Katelyn.
We met during college at Portland State and have been inseparable ever since. Currently, we see each other at least two or three times a week, and while we’re pretty good at talking on the phone too, the thought of putting thousands of miles between us is daunting to say the least. Since Ami gave me such great advice about moving, I thought I’d ask my Frisky coworkers for advice on how to make a long distance friendship work. It turns out that Jessica, especially, has a lot of experience in this arena, with friends scattered all over the globe. Read on for their top 10 LDF tips, and please share your own experiences and advice in the comments! Keep reading »
How To Move Across The Country Without Having A Nervous Breakdown
So, huge news: my boyfriend Nick and I are moving from Portland to Nashville, Tennessee! Remember when we visited last year and were totally smitten with the city? Well, our lease is up at the end of this month, and we’ve decided it’s the right time to give southern living a try. Neither of us has ever done a major move like this. We are incredibly excited. We are totally terrified. And we are full of questions about everything from packing logistics to saying goodbye to our dear friends, which is why I enlisted my lovely and wise coworker Ami, who is something of a moving expert–to give us some guidance. Read on for our moving Q&A, and please feel free to add your own tips and suggestions in the comments (we’ll take any help we can get!).
Alright, take it away, Ami…
Keep reading »
Could You “Slow Decorate” Your Living Space?
You know those people who move into a new house or apartment, and seem perfectly happy to live out of boxes for, like, ever? Yeah, I’m not one of those people. As soon as I moved into my new apartment, I began unpacking, organizing and putting things away. I really hate having to live in transition, and the sooner I can get my art on the walls, and my forks in the silverware drawer, the better. I’m a control freak, and I’m also one of those people whose internal anxiety is deeply affected by her external circumstances. Which means I have a hard time concentrating or feeling happy in unfinished, cluttered spaces. I’m fine if the closets or cabinets are disorganized, I just don’t want to have to see it.
But Alysha Findley over at Apartment Therapy takes a vastly different approach…
5 Things To Do When You Move
For the past two weeks, I’ve been running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to prepare for the biggest change in my young adult life. I am moving to New York this week and while I’m extremely excited, I’m also just as anxious and panicky. I’ve learned that moving to a new city is actually a lot different than moving to your college town of choice.
Also, I always thought when I moved somewhere for a job, whether I was moving to downtown Atlanta a few minutes away or to a different state, I would drive there with all of my stuff. That’s what I did in college. Pack up the car until you can’t see out of the back and then drive off into the Natty Light tinted sunset. Moving to a city far away and to a place where you don’t need a car requires more planning. And since I’m currently without a place to live (don’t worry I’m staying with friends) I don’t have anywhere to put my life. Not to mention my tiny self can’t carry two checked bags and two carry-ons when I get off the plane. So in lieu of trying to bring everything I own, I’m packing two bags and my parents are shipping things to me seasonally. This is surprisingly cheaper than I thought.
I figured though that a lot of you are probably in the moving process as well, post-grad or college-bound. Here are five things to do while preparing (more or less for your emotional state than anything else). Read more…
Where Would You Live If You Could Live Anywhere?
Ever since I visited London last year, I’ve become obsessed with moving there. I loved everything about it: the history, the people, the food, the fashion, the TV shows about medical oddities. And the toffee pudding? My god, the toffee pudding! I live in Portland right now, which definitely has its charms (many of which are lampooned on “Portlandia” every week), but lately I’ve found myself spending much of my free time plotting and scheming ways to relocate to London. I’m wondering–what city do you dream about? Where would you live if you could live anywhere? Or do you already live in the perfect place?
Dear Wendy: “Should My Boyfriend And I Move To A Third World Country Together?”
I’m 21 and have been offered the opportunity to work in a rural area of a third world country. I will be doing something not very glamorous — necessary work for the project, but not the most exciting thing ever. I am very ambivalent as to whether I should accept it — I don’t speak the language, have no particular ties to this country, and am unsure if I would enjoy this opportunity. However, it would be a different experience and very unique. I would appreciate your level-headed thinking on this matter. In addition, I have a boyfriend of over two years. We have a great relationship and love each other deeply. He has offered to move to this country with me. He has few things tying him to our current location and has also expressed that he would be willing to follow me to other areas of the continental U.S., etc. My question is: is this a good idea? My heart says yes. It would ease my mind greatly if we didn’t have to worry about the long-distance relationship factor. I’ve mentioned potential obstacles, but he brushes it off as, basically, it doesn’t matter; he wants to be with me. What do you think? If I take this opportunity, I would want him to come, but I’m worried about what might happen. What if he hates it? What if he can’t find a job? I’m not even sure if I’ll be able to see him all that often. Please help! — First World Dilemma
5 Awful Things Nobody Tells You About Moving
Oh, sure, you’ve moved before: To a better neighborhood, a bigger house or just to spite that bitch Stacy at work who said she lived in a “very exclusive neighborhood.” It’s not a big deal. You suffer through one s**tty weekend, buy your friends cheap beer and sub-food quality pizza in exchange for manual labor, and you’re done. But the big move — the out-of-state, thousand-mile, cross-country, f**k-all move — is a different story. There are all sorts of traps, pitfalls and dastardly sons of bitches lurking out there, just waiting to pounce on you in your vulnerable state of temporary Hobo-osity. And nobody warns you about them … presumably because Big Moving has had all of their protesting tongues cut out and fed into the secret Misery Engines that really keep those trucks running.
Keep reading »
Girl Talk: I Think I’m Addicted To Starting Over
My pattern with escape began as a kid.
I am 14 years old and in my pediatrician’s office. My family has just moved back to New York City after a 5-year stint in Massachusetts. I’m turning into one of those surly teenagers. My mother has read SavingReviving Ophelia and now my father is reading it, too, and I see the sad face of that wispy-haired girl staring up at me from her wrinkled paperback cover every time I pass his bedside table. Dr. Sedlis is asking how school is going. My mother is in the room and she says, “Not too well. It’s a large public school.” This is true. I hate it there. I am lost and they are making me take oboe lessons even though I signed up for piano. The girls are goths and punks and I am neither. Dr. Sedlis advises putting me into private school. Keep reading »
Let’s Play The “Where Might I Like To Live?” Game!
This weekend, my boyfriend and I were down in Virginia visiting his parents, chit-chatting about his upcoming move to New York from Connecticut. I’m coming up on my 10-year anniversary as a resident of NYC — which apparently makes me “official” — and occasionally think about the other places I might like to live before I put down serious roots (i.e. have kids). I love New York so much, but I also fantasize about glamourous things I can’t get here (well, without serious money), like a backyard with a grill, a garden, and a hammock. My BF is eventually going to be applying to graduate school and while I’m definitely trying not to get ahead of myself, as far as our relationship is concerned, knowing this has made me consider my own willingness to move out of NYC — with or without him. Keep reading »
